Chronicles of Logos Quest For the Kingdom Parts IV, V, VI, and VII Revised With Index (Quest For the Kingdom Set) by L. M. Roth Read Free Book Online Page B

in violation of this edict shall be arrested and
tried for treason. The punishment for any found guilty shall be imprisonment
and confiscation of property to the Valeriun Empire. Signed this day by His
Imperial Highness, Emperor Urbanus.”
    The startled
Alexandrians looked in bewilderment from the soldiers to Marcus. But before he
could respond the Guards dove in among them, driving them out of the library
and shutting the doors. As his fellow believers were sent out into the street,
Marcus stood with Tullia by his side. The Captain strode up to him and looked
him sternly in the face.
    “Marcus
Maximus, you are to vacate the Villa Maximus and depart from the city of
Potentus this day, or feel the pain of the Emperor’s wrath.”

Chapter
V
Melisande
    A sharp wind
had blown in from the sea the night before. It had howled with the rage of ten
thousand demons to the ears of Brenus. The sound kept him awake into the early
hours of the morning before he at last dozed off into a fitful sleep plagued
with vaguely uneasy dreams.
    He woke more
exhausted than he had been when he retired to bed, and reluctantly threw off
his pelt of warm fur to face the morning. The late September days still retained
some lingering warmth, but the chill of autumn descended with the sinking of
the sun.
    He recalled
with a groan that he had promised his mother Judoc to hunt some rabbit for the
stew she wished to make for the evening meal. It was the birthday of her
husband, Dag Adalbart, and he had developed a fondness for the stew, so
different from the meats of his homeland of Trekur Lende, where the men hunted
boar and bear to present to the women to roast over large spits in the open
air.
    Brenus stuck
one foot out from his pelts, and on feeling the cold, quickly drew it back in
again. A few more minutes would not matter, he reasoned, and he needed to wake
up more fully before starting his day. He quickly nestled down under the fur,
burrowing his chin into its warmth, leaving his nose pointed out to face the
chill of the room.
    As he lay
there he thought of Dag, the man whom he called his father. He was not of
course; his own father Denzel had died many years ago while venturing into a
world covered with snow to bring back venison for his son who craved it. Brenus
never forgot that day: the snow blowing around their hut for days and the wind
biting so hard that even a fire had been of little use to warm them. He had
grown weary of the bread and cheese that sustained them during the storm and
craved his mother’s venison stew. Against the pleas of Judoc Denzel had left
the shelter of the hut, never to return. His body had been found a few days
later, frozen to death not far from his home. Brenus had blamed himself for his
father’s death, and had never forgiven himself until Dominio gave him the
strength to do so.
    He shook off
the memory and roused himself at last. He was greeted in the small kitchen by
Judoc, who bustled around cleaning up after herself and her husband. She shook
her head at her son, and prepared a meal of porridge and dark bread for him. After
he broke his fast, he kissed his mother swiftly and affectionately on the cheek
and left the hut. Dag was nowhere to be seen, but was already hard at work in
the field, according to Judoc, as she shot a slightly reproachful look at
Brenus, who had slept rather late this morning.
    Aye, hadn’t he
been told before that he was a laze-a-bed, he rued. To be compared with the
industrious Dag did not help either. Brenus had never seen anyone as
hardworking as his stepfather. It was an ethic which Dag had passed on to his
adopted son, Cort, who also was seldom to be found at a loss for something to
do. Cort was as dear to Brenus as though they were blood brothers, and they had
already been good friends before Dag and Judoc were wed. Cort was no doubt
working hard with Dag, and Brenus would get a ribbing from him later when they
assembled for the evening meal.
    Brenus left
the tiny village of